TALLADEGA SCENIC HIGHWAY ON MT. CHEAHA ~ ALABAMA ~ photo taken by Dianna Stover
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Monday, February 21, 2011

PIC OF THE WEEK - WRENCHIN' HANDS

Harley and I went out for a nice long ride Saturday and since yesterday marked the first year of my dad's passing, I thought about him the whole time. So much so, I came home and wrote him a letter, telling him how much he's been missed.

I'm devoting today's Pic of the Week to Papa J... he made a living wrenching on John Deere tractors his whole life, but this one captures him enjoying something else he loved... Go-Karts!


WRENCHIN' HANDS
During the winter months in Iowa, we would bundle up and go down to the Mississippi river to watch him and a bunch of other guys race go-karts on the ice. As kids, we would get bored after a while, so we'd take our sleds (mine was a saucer) down the iced over boat ramps. They made great little slides and the fun part was hitting the ice at the bottom... you could just shoot across the ice like a hockey puck!

I loved my dad more than words can say and I miss him incessantly. I'm just thankful for the memories he helped us create... they will live on forever.

Have a blessed week everybody and... ride on and ride smart.

Lady R

10 comments:

Learning to Golf said...

Ice racing on a gokart with what looks like a metal seat, he was a tough old bird wasn't he?

The letter was a great tribute.

Lady R (Di) said...

AZD... the back of the seat was metal, but he had a vinyl covered seat cushion on the bottom of the seat. Still pretty rough riding though. Yeah... he was tough. :)

Kathleen Jennette said...

This picture is so classic. Should be on a billboard or something. I can feel him in my heart through your words and I hope all these wonderful memories bring a great big smile to your face!

Lady R (Di) said...

KT... A billboard! He'd be laughing and smiling about that! I wish I could find his old photos of the John Deere tractors he helped build. He was a mechanic in the experimental dept. where they worked on and developed new models. He used to tell me it was top secret... so of course I thought (for few years anyway) that he was a spy! LOL!

I love sharing my dad with others, and yes... I'm smiling!

Unknown said...

Lady R:

You've got me teary eyed over this and the previous post. I come from a broken home so did not have the relationships that others have experienced, so perhaps I can empathize more with something that I strived to have, but could not.

Recently I had an opportunity to see a collection of John Deere's. Many different models with differing attachments.

I'm glad you have a lifetime of memories to cherish

bob
Wet Coast Scootin

FREEBIRDRONNIE said...

I know too how sons love their parents. When my mother left us after a cancer, all my brothers and sisters give all our loving and support to my father, he really lost something vital in his life...

Un saludo.

Lady R (Di) said...

Bobskoot... I've often said how fortunate I am to have had parents that stayed together AND put their family (mainly us kids) first. In today's society of blended families, I feel like I was blessed with something rare. I appreciate your words, very much.

I hope to be able to show off some of dad's projects one of these days. I know this is a motorcycle blog, but everybody likes big new tractors!

Freebird... I'm sorry learn of your mother's passing, but your so understanding at how much more painful it was for your father. We, as children expect to lose our parents... it's the natural order of things. When you lose a spouse, your lonesomeness can be overwhelming. Especially when you've been with that same person for 50 plus years.

After losing my dad, my mom has become more precious to me... if that's even possible. Peace -

Webster World said...

You are a lucky lady to of had a dad like that. Some don't have that experiance.

Lady R (Di) said...

Webster... thank you friend. I'm very lucky indeed.

WooleyBugger said...

That picture is just fantastic like from a magazine or something. Who took that?